Classic Crewneck Cardigan

Throw it on with a T-shirt and jeans, let it hang from your shoulders over your party dress, or slide it on once the airplane hits cruising altitude. Our Classic Crewneck Cardigan is an everyday, everywhere chameleon!

A bit of an unusual construction with in-the-round set-in sleeves, this timeless beauty is knit from the bottom up and features a pretty short-row-shaped neckline and a handsome button placket. The shoulders are shaped with short rows and joined together with a simple three-needle bind-off. With some surprising details along the way, this knit will tickle the maker’s brain!

Our Classic Crewneck Cardigan knits up equally well in either our Cotton Pure, 100% unmercerized Pima cotton, or our Season Alpaca, 100% super baby alpaca. At 6 stitches to the inch, both yarns have a beautiful drape without being bulky. Make a sweater in each for year-round sweater options!

You also get to choose between edgings: a ribbed edge (shown above in Season Alpaca’s Dove Gray) or a rolled edge (shown below in Cotton Pure’s Birch Bark). Either yarn, either edging, the Classic Crewneck Cardigan is eternal, a beauty that will last forever!

Designed for Purl Soho by Adam Aronowitz.

Materials

NOTE: Choose from two different Purl Soho yarns. Each works perfectly for this pattern!

Thank you so much for letting us know! All of the measurements are present and correct on the print version and we have corrected the missing information above! We very much appreciate you reaching out!

Thank you so much for this pattern! I had purchased the materials and pattern to make the top down turtleneck cardigan with the intention of modifying it to be like this. I was going to make it in cotton pure, so now I have the materials to make this! I can’t wait to cast on!

Thanks for reaching out! According to the Craft and Yarn Council, the sweater would be classified as “Experienced,” as it uses short rows and a bit of an unusual construction with in-the-round set-in sleeves as well as a three-needle bind-off. Personally, if you are an adventurous intermediate knitter, I think that you should be good to go! If you are not familiar with short rows, I might check out our Short Row tutorial (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/short-rows/) to get comfortable with the technique and decide if you want to give this lovely cardigan a try!

Hi!
I just started the cardigan and I am confused about the button holes. You describe a hole on added part, on placket. Don‘t I need another one on bodypart? At the end, folding the placket, I won‘t geht through the button, right?
Or do I close the cardigan just in hole on placket? In this case I need another 8 button to stich them on top.
I realy don‘t understand, could you help me please?

Just starting this lovely sweater with your cotton pure. I can see how the sweater will turn out with one doubt: the left placket (mentioned on page 11). On the repeated row 2, the purl side of the body, one slips three stitches (wyif) and then knits over those same stitches coming back on the right side, leaving an open, lacy ultimate three stitches on the left. Are these turned over into a button placket?
Thanks for your help!

Thanks for your question! The three slipped stitches will create a rolled, i-cord-like edge on the right front of the cardigan where the buttons will be sewn. When I do this edging, I like to pull my yarn a bit firmly when I begin purling after the slipped stitches, which helps those three slipped stitches roll in to the wrong side of the fabric. It is really neat to see how that one step creates a tidy edging, so I encourage you to try it out, either on a swatch or on the sweater if you are ready to dive in!

Hello Quynh,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes- Mulberry Merino should work beautifully for this project! I would still, as always, knit up a little gauge swatch before jumping in.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla

Thanks for writing in! Our Good Wool is a bit thicker than either our Cotton Pure or Season Alpaca, so while you may be able to adjust your needle size to get the correct gauge, I think you would end up with a somewhat stiff and dense fabric, which might not be quite as comfortable to wear! If you would like to make a cardigan out of Good Wool, I think Olson would be a good option, or you could take a look at our Classic Hemmed Crewneck for a pullover option!

I bought this tempting pattern and just received my yarn. Question re: my gauge swatch. I get 24 sets = 4 inches, but 36 rows = 4.75 inches , BEFORE BLOCKING. is it safe for me to proceed? It’s not too convenient to machine wash and dry the swatch, but I do have it soaking in hot water now, to check possible shrinkage. My yarn is 100% cotton, DK weight but not from Purl Soho. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your advice.

Thanks for writing in! In general, stitch gauge is more important than row gauge – for most sweater patterns, including this one, many of the pattern sections have you knit to a specified length in inches rather than a certain number of rows, so as long as your stitch gauge is correct, your row gauge will be irrelevant for the most part. However, if you are planning on machine washing and drying your sweater, I would strongly recommend doing the same with your gauge swatch if at all possible – the dryer can make a big difference in gauge! If you can wait to cast on, it would be a good idea to put your swatch in with your next load of clothes just to be on the safe side.

Thanks for writing in! Cashmere Merino Bloom is just a little too heavy for this pattern – you may be able to adjust your needle size to get the correct gauge, but I think you would end up with a somewhat stiff and dense fabric, which might not be quite as comfortable to wear! If you are looking for another option besides Cotton Pure or Season Alpaca, this pattern would work well in Mulberry Merino, Anzula Cricket, or any other sport weight yarn.

I have made it to joining the sleeves with the body, but I simply do not understand the instructions! What do I do with the stitches on hold on both arm and body, in which order to I knit? It simply does not add up…

I’ve been making the classic crew neck cardigan and when I added the sleeves to the body, the stitches look different, almost as if they’re twisted or slanted differently. I’ve knit 5 rows it’s the same result. I tried to find a way to and a photo and couldn’t figure it out. So frustrated! Any ideas?